Survival of the Scourge
by ZinicInk
Summary: The final clash has ended; Matthias has slain Cluny the Scourge! Peace spreads across the Mossflower Wood, but something isn't quite right. It's Cluny. His legacy hasn't quite ended, not just yet. R&R please! Rated T just in case.
1. Aftermath and a New Beginning

_A/N: I haven't been on in quite a while, sadly. I recently came back, and started writing a Mario fic. I re-read this story, and well, I'm going to pick it up and make some major changes. When I was originally writing SotS, I wasn't sure where I was going with it, so I inevitably lost interest (which explains why I haven't updated in forever). HOWEVER! I've had a break-through and now have an outline written for SotS, so I'll be working on this story on and off between school and my Mario fic ACG. So, here's an updated, reviewed, and changed version of the first few chapters of SotS. I actually combined a few of the chapters, because they weren't very long and fit together just fine. Reviews and well-constructed critiques are always welcome! Enjoy!_

**Chapter 1: Aftermath and a New Beginning**

Redwall Abbey was bustling after the final struggle between Matthias the Warrior and Cluny the Scourge. Numerous chores needed to be tended to, and there was not one pair of idle hands to be found in the great abbey. The bodies of slain creatures had to be carried and piled out on the bloodstained lawn by a group of Redwallers, whose operation was headed by Foremole and Ambrose. They were scheduled to be buried the next day. Any and all manner of weapons were collected by Jess and Basil's company and were, by the wishes of Brother Mordalfus, thrown out, for the time of their use had passed. Then there was caring for the injured creatures that had bravely fought in the battle, which was quite an enormous task and required a good majority of the remaining workers. There were so many that the sick bay was filled to the point of bursting, and dormitories were kindly given up for the use of the injured so they would be able to heal in comfort.

After those chores were completed, it came time to deal with the bell tower. It was in obvious need of repair after the great fall of the Joseph Bell that had ended the fighting. The bell itself was to be taken out of the tower for inspection and repairs if at all possible. Constance the badger led the group of creatures in charge of lifting the huge bell so it could be moved.

As the bell was slowly lifted from the small crater it had been resting in, the corpse of the Scourge himself was revealed, right where Matthias had left him. The black rat's features were twisted in pain and shock, with his green and yellow eye rolled upwards into his skull. Most of the rat's limbs and paws were bent in ways that they shouldn't have been able to, his tail was smashed at the tip, and his battle armor was completely ruined and smashed into his body. There was no way the armor could have been removed unless it was actually cut from the rat's frame.

When Constance saw it, she wrinkled her nose in disgust, with most of the other helpers doing likewise. "We've found another body for you, Ambrose," she called down the stairs.

The hedgehog in question poked his head around the corner. The kindly creature had been on the body collection team, but they had finished their duties a few hours prior. He took one look at the rat's body and shuddered. "I think I'll let Foremole have the honor of collecting this last one." On that note, he wandered off to inform Foremole and his crew of the new job he had found for them.

A few moments later, Ambrose returned, with Foremole behind, prodding him with a long digging claw. "Alright, alright, you crazy earth eater! I'll help you!" Ambrose gave Constance a pitiful look, like she could get him out of moving the dead rat.

Constance shook her head, a small smile on the corner of her lips. "I would take him down to the yard myself, but as you can see-" she shook the bell in her hands, which got her some muttering from her fellow workers. "Oh, sorry. As you can see, I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment."

The cheerful mole responded in his odd dialect. "It'm foin, Missus. Oi 'n yon 'edgepig kin 'andle this un," he looked at Ambrose. "Hurr, git a 'old o' tem arms, quik loik." Ambrose grimaced and reluctantly obeyed. He grabbed the rat's broken arms while Foremole picked up the smashed legs.

"And I thought he was ugly from a distance," Ambrose muttered, wrinkling his nose. He began to lead the way out of the tower and down to the lawns. "At least your job is clean, Constance," he stated.

"Look at the bright side, tonight is Brother Alf's Abbot Orientation feast. The sooner we finish our duties, the sooner it begins," Constance reminded him.

"Yeah, I guess that'll get this disgusting feeling out of my spikes-"

Foremole cut the conversation with a quick shove, which sent Ambrose out the door. He gave a nod to Constance. "We'lm be sein yur at the feast tonoight." Constance returned the nod and smiled as the two friends clumsily made their way down the bell tower.

"Will you stop goin' so fast, mate? You're gonna make me trip and get us both killed!"

"Killed? Hurr hurr, it'm bes only gurt stairs, Ambrose!"

"Only _stairs_? If we fall, then they'll only be the _deadliest_ stairs!"

The two friends walked out onto the lawns, bickering back and forth. The sky was turning a pink and purple hue as the sun began to set. "Look, Foremole. They're going to start the feast without us!" It was true, their fellow abbey dwellers and woodlanders were heading into Great Hall. Delicious aromas and the sound of laughter and music wafted out of the great doors. The sights and sounds spurred the companions to run the rest of the way to the pile of bodies. They unceremoniously tossed the defeated Scourge onto the pile. Ambrose smiled at his friend, and then dashed off across the lawn to Great Hall. "See you at the feast, slowpoke!"

Foremole jogged after him, yelling indignantly. "Hurr, yew sneakin' likkle traitor! Wait!" Ambrose stopped and laughed as he reached the steps leading up into Great Hall. When Foremole caught up, the hedgehog threw an arm around the mole's shoulders and led them both inside.

But because of the good food and enjoyable company inside, no beast was around to notice the movements on the lawn.

XXXXXXX

An hour into Abbot Mordalfus' feast, a single green and yellow eye slowly rolled back into its place.

Cluny blinked a few times, becoming aware of himself. He had experienced close calls before, but that collision with the bell was one he hadn't thought was particularly survivable. By a devil's blessing, he was still painfully alive and breathing.

He began to rise from the pile of bodies, but his head began swimming with a sharp pain from the effort, and it almost made him collapse. Determinedly, he sat up. After a moment of rest to let the pain sink in, Cluny carefully tested each of his limbs to see what the damage was. The results were not pleasing. He was no doctor, but he could feel both his arms were broken in different places, with the right paw shattered, and the left shoulder felt dislocated. After applying a little pressure to his legs, he decided something was wrong with his left ankle. It didn't feel as painful as his broken arms, so he settled on a sprain or twist type of injury. Cluny felt his tail tenderly, and found that the tip was smashed, and he couldn't even feel that part of it. He felt a very sharp pain in his chest, and guessed he had acquired a couple broken ribs as well. From the pain he kept feeling in his skull, and by the way he couldn't entirely think straight, he assumed he had received a concussion to top off the impressive list of injuries. The quick inspection left Cluny feeling hopeless; he might as well have been dead.

He tried to examine his surroundings, but something was very wrong. Whichever way he turned his head, he couldn't see anything. He checked to make sure his eye was, in fact, open. It was as if some creature was cupping a paw over his eye. The sensation made Cluny feel disoriented, so he shut his eye to make the darkness feel more natural and self-inflicted.

In his state of blindness, he had to take advantage of his other senses. Cluny remained still and pricked his sharp ears. He could hear the sound of water which, if his memory served, meant that he was near the pond. Chattering and laughter reached his tattered ears, and he assumed it was coming from the Great Hall. Despite his entire body screaming out in pain, the rat gritted his sharp teeth and carefully rose to a standing position. He tested his legs, and found he could still walk, though it would be excruciatingly painful. Cluny began to slowly limp his body away from the sounds of the Abbot's Orientation feast and toward what he hoped was the outer wall. He tried to stay as quiet as he could, even though each step made him bite his tongue to keep from shouting out in pain.

He abruptly reached the stone outer wall and began to guide his broken body along it, feeling for one of the small gates that he had used to enter Redwall Abbey with his horde. What seemed like hours later, the Scourge finally found one. He ran his good paw up the gate and grasped at every bolt, unlocking them as silently as he possibly could. "How ironic," he growled to himself. "To be leaving just as eagerly as I came." The gate squeaked a bit as he pushed it open. Once Cluny was out on the road, he let his hand slip by mistake, and the gate slammed loudly behind him, as if glad he was gone. He jumped at the sudden and loud noise and let out a stream of curses; not just directed at the noise, but at his situation, and at the Redwallers who had made the once powerful and legendary rat into a broken has-been.

After his rant, the rat panted as he composed himself. The sudden, oppressive silence made Cluny realize that he was alone, and in unfamiliar territory that he couldn't even see. There was no way he could defend himself in his current state; he could hardly walk! Cluny pondered his situation, weighing his options. What could possibly be hiding out here that wouldn't immediately turn tail and flee at the sight of Cluny the Scourge? He briefly remembered a report that had been given to him by a couple of his troops of an adder, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Before he could change his mind, Cluny pressed forward, limping into the depths of Mossflower Wood.

Only a few minutes had passed before Cluny became completely disoriented. The trees seemed to hold a sort of grudge against the rat. They constantly scratched at him with their low-hanging branches, his paws would get tangled in their roots, and he'd bump his broad shoulders against their trunks.

The big rat stopped his trek, feeling like he had wandered far enough away from Redwall Abbey and its cursed inhabitants. Cluny was tired, frustrated, and in an extreme amount of pain that any normal rat would have already passed out from. Not in the mood for running about blindly in the wood, he tenderly set himself down against the trunk of one of the irritating trees that surrounded him. After a few moments of listening to the night sounds of Mossflower Wood, the Scourge was enveloped in the midst of fitful slumber, reliving his defeat through nightmares.

XXXXXXX

Sleeping in the middle of Mossflower Wood was never a very clever or intelligent idea, especially at night and out in the open. There were countless unfortunate things that could happen to oneself, what with the varying vermin that prowled about looking for easy prey. Luckily for the Scourge, his attack and defeat at Redwall Abbey had scared most of those vermin out of the premises, leaving only the unthreatening creatures to stumble upon him.

Nevra was a small, young squirrel that inhabited Mossflower Wood with her parents and older brother. Her fur was a dark brown, with a single white spot surrounding her right eye. She had recently turned 13 years old, which was not very old to be wandering about the Woods alone.

She was out on a stroll through Mossflower Wood, conveniently forgetting what her parents told her about staying home with her brother that evening. As she walked along, she gathered various plants and berries and tucked them inside a small sack she had slung over her shoulder. Nevra began to hum a nameless tune to herself. She made it up as she went, but found the song not to her liking. The humming stopped, and she was about to strike up a new one when she found herself falling face-first into the forest floor, her bag of herbs and berries flying toward a nearby tree with its contents spilling out.

Nevra outstretched her arms in reaction to the fast approaching ground. As she caught herself, pain shot through her paws. She sat back and tried to inspect the damage. It was hard to see in the darkness, but it seemed that she had a few scrapes; nothing too serious.

The squirrel turned her head around to see what had caused her to fall. What she saw made her jump to her feet and hastily take a few steps backward. Was that a snake next to that tree? After looking closer at the object in question, she sighed as she realized it was… a tail. Much like a mouse's or rat's, but longer and wider than any she had seen before. She must have stepped on it by mistake and lost her footing. What was surprising to her was that the owner of the tail hadn't cried out when she had trodden upon it. Slowly, Nevra began to follow the tail to its master.

She rounded the tree trunk and found the owner. From what she could make out, she had found a rat; and a big one at that. He was black, and he wore an eye patch, but she couldn't make much else out.

"Hello?" she asked, tentatively.

Cluny quickly became very alert. He snapped his one eye open, but it was evident his vision was still lost by the continuing darkness.

"Hey! Sir, did you hear me?" Nevra persisted.

The rat suddenly jumped to his feet and snarled at her. "Of course I heard you! Who the hell do you think you are?" In surprise, Nevra fell back a few paces, and then dropped to the grass. This rat wasn't big; he was huge! He was almost twice as tall as her, and at least twice as thick.

After shaking her head to clear away her surprise, Nevra stood. She brushed off her fur and turned her gaze back to the rat, swishing her tail nervously. "S-sorry sir. I didn't mean to startle…" He was staring straight at her, teeth bared and fist clenched. It was a rather intimidating sight, and Nevra did _not_ feel safe. Slowly, she backed into a tree, and then scurried up it quick as she could. When she looked back down at him, the rat was still staring at where she had been. She quickly put two and two together, and smiled. _This rat's blind!_

Cluny couldn't tell if he had scared the pest off or not, but didn't move just in case. In an answer to his unspoken question, the young voice reanimated close to his right side; just out of reach. "Um, sir, I don't think you should be standing. It's hard to see, but it looks like you're in a lot of pain." A paw pushed on Cluny's dislocated shoulder, trying to get him back on the ground. In response, he snapped his pointed teeth at it.

Nevra quickly removed her paw from his shoulder and scampered up the tree he had been lying against. "Hey! I'm just trying to help you!" she called, watching him from above.

The voice had come from above him, and Cluny let out a groan. "Squirrel." He still hated squirrels, ever since that one and her rabbit friend had stolen back their tapestry and made the Scourge look like a fool.

"Yes, I am." The voice was now across from him, where it had first started.

Cluny growled angrily, trying to scare the pest away. If he had been able to see, he would have already ripped her apart with his claws. "Listen, _pest_, I don't _need_ your help. You better get lost before you _really_ irritate me," he threatened.

Nevra smiled. "Sorry, but from what I can see, you are in need of a _lot_ of help."

Cluny snarled menacingly, and the squirrel took a backward step. "What do you _want_, kid?" He didn't say it as a question, more like a command.

"I want you to come with me. My parents can help you-"

The rat burst into laughter; horrible, cruel laughter, that caused Nevra to step back even further. "Nice try, but I'm no fool. I ain't goin' back to that damn abbey."

"Redwall Abbey? I wasn't going to take you there-"

"Don't try to trick me!" Cluny snapped. "Where else would you're _helpful_ parents be? You must take me for an idiot!" This was completely infuriating. A single day earlier and this girl would have been dead as soon as she had said 'hello'. Now he couldn't do anything but bear the irritation.

Nevra began to explain. "Well, my family has a little hollow a ways over there." She pointed, but the rat didn't make any notion that he saw the gesture. "We practice the same things as those who live in Redwall. We help the injured and tend to the sick. We help them so they don't have to worry the abbey. If the individual patient has a problem that we cannot help them with, then we take them to the abbey," Nevra looked over the rat. "You may be such an individual-"

Cluny cut off the squirrel by turning away from the pest. He began to walk haughtily into the woods, ignoring her protests. It wasn't a very dignified farewell. A few paces and his paw caught on a tree root, which sent him sprawling on the forest floor. His entire body exploded in renewed pain, and he couldn't help crying out. He tried to make the cry sound angry, but Nevra could tell it was from pain, not frustration.

"Listen to me!" Nevra called as she ran to try and aid him. "If you don't want me to take you to Redwall, then at least let me take you to my parents. You're in no condition to be out in these woods alone!" The rat swiped at her with his sharp claws as he stood up.

"They wouldn't help me._ And I don't need their help_," he stated coldly.

"And how do you know that?" Nevra returned.

Cluny whirled around to face the squirrel. Was this pest serious? "Do you know who I _am_?" he roared at her.

"A-actually sir. I don't." Nevra replied sheepishly, backing away. The rat seemed to be surprised. "…Should I know who you are?"

Cluny's mind was racing. There had to be some way to use this brat to his advantage. "Should you know who I am? Why, of course not. I'm just a regular, wandering old rat." He reached out and grabbed hold of the squirrel, heavily resting a paw on her small shoulder. "You got a name, kid?"

Nevra shuddered under the rat's touch, her discomfort seeming to cause the big rat some pleasure. "Nevra… and what is yours?"

"You can just call me Sir, Nevra. Names are a trifle thing that I gave up years ago." Cluny grinned. "Now… how's about you take me down to see your folks?"

Glad to see the rat had changed his mind, Nevra returned his ferocious grin with a kind smile. "Of course, Sir. I'll lead, seeing as you can't see yourself."

Cluny froze. "How did you know that?" he demanded angrily.

"I just noticed that you weren't following me with your eye while I was moving about is all."

After a moment, Cluny allowed Nevra to lead him through Mossflower Wood. He chuckled to himself and his incredible luck.

_What an idiot_.


	2. New Enemies and Old Allies

_A/N: Aaaaand I edited this chapter too! It's a combination of the old chapter 3 and 4. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 2: New Enemies and Old Allies**

Nevra never seemed to be at a loss for something to say as they walked in the warm night air, her arm around the big rat and Cluny leaning heavily on the small squirrel. "You'll like my parents. They're really nice, like the people at Redwall Abbey! And don't feel nervous or embarrassed about being given medical attention. They're just as good at treating rats as any other creatures."

He hadn't been paying attention to anything the pest had been saying, but this last bit caught Cluny's attention. "What do you mean, 'good at treating rats'?" he asked.

Nevra looked up at him. "We've been finding loads of rat-patients just like you, Sir. They don't want to get taken to the abbey, and they're all beat up! Though, all but three left a few days ago."

"Why's that?"

"Dad said it's 'cause they're all healed up and he sent 'em on their way," she shrugged. "I guess the other three are still hurting. Oh, watch your head, Sir." Nevra led Cluny around some very low hanging branches and guided him over some roots. Cluny remained silent as he pondered this, allowing the squirrel to lead him in his state of blindness.

After an hour of stumping along through the woods, Nevra led Cluny into the small clearing where she lived. A single oak tree stood in the center, where her family lived. The large tree was hollow, and in the strong, lower branches were rooms fashioned out of wood. The whole structure looked rather like a tree house, but it was home nevertheless. Nevra approached the tree with Cluny in tow. Outside of the door leading in, she let go of him. "You wait here, Sir. I'll go get my parents." She dashed off, leaving him alone.

Once Cluny was certain the little pest was gone, he groaned. Certainly this pest's parents would recognize him. Then they would drag him back to the abbey, where the idiotic creatures would most likely kill him. He readjusted his eye patch with his good paw absentmindedly. All he had to do was keep these squirrels from reporting him to the abbey. How to accomplish this was another problem all together. He sighed, realizing that before he _could_ do anything, he had to get his wounds taken care of. It hurt just to stand up, and trying to think up a plan just made everything hurt even more.

The rat stopped his musings and listened. Someone was talking nearby.Cluny turned his head in the direction of the voice. In fact, there were three voices, and he immediately recognized one of them. It was bitter, gruff, and superior in tone.

_Skullface._

He didn't know how that miserable rat had survived the incident with the horse, but there was no mistaking that voice. It was definitely his old captain.

Cluny pretended not to hear the whispered conversation, but pricked his ears to better make out what the rat was saying. He only caught bits and pieces.

"-you sure?"

"Of course I….no mistaking it…"

"What's he doin allaways out…?"

Cluny sneered, and the voices immediately stopped. He was about to approach them, but it was then that Nevra returned. "Sir? My parents want to see you." Cluny nodded innocently and held out his arm. Nevra grabbed hold of it and led Cluny to the tree.

They climbed a few stairs that had been carved into the base of the tree, each shooting renewed pain up the Scourge's legs. After ascending the steps, they entered a small room. A lantern was lit, and there were a few small chairs around a wooden table. Nevra eased Cluny into one, but remained standing herself. In the light, she could better see him. She hadn't noticed how vicious he looked back in the woods. _No wonder he thought mom and dad wouldn't treat him. Just look at him!_

His eye was green and yellow, and an eye patch covered his left eye. His ears were torn in a few places, and he had black fur covered in grey scars. She absently wondered how he had got them.

A long silence followed. Cluny was waiting for the pest's parents, and Nevra didn't say anything.

Cluny broke the silence. "Where are your parents? I thought you said-"

"We are right here, Sir. That's your name, correct?" A male voice sounded from across Cluny. His tone gave the Scourge the impression that he was none too pleased that the rat was in his home.

Cluny nodded. "I gave up names. When you're a wanderer, you don't exactly need one." He smiled inwardly as he continued his pretense.

"Right then, Sir. My name is Stret, and this is my wife, Menda." Cluny remained silent.

A new voice, Menda's, picked up where her husband had left off. "Now, Sir, we hear you are in need of severe medical attention. We don't have as much medicine at our disposal as we would like, and looking at you even without a proper inspection, I can see that we won't be able to completely heal you with the supplies we have. If you would like, we could take you to Redwall Abbey-"

She was silenced by a snarl that escaped Cluny's lips. "There ain't no way in Hellgates I'll be going back to that place."

Stret sighed. "Sir, I don't think you under-"

Cluny once again interrupted. He leapt to his feet, despite the immense pain that shot through his body. "I don't think you heard me," he said through gritted teeth. "There ain't no way I'm going back there!" he roared.

Nevra took this as her opportunity to leave. She quietly exited, deciding her parents could handle this.

After waiting for his daughter to leave, Stret pushed Cluny none-too-gently back into the chair. "Listen, you rat. We aren't idiots."

Cluny felt the atmosphere change and knew it was time to stop pretending. "You could've fooled me," he sneered.

"Now see here," Menda stated, angrily. "We're in a predicament of what to do with you. We feel as if we're putting our family and way of life in danger no matter what we do." At this, the Scourge let a wicked grin pass his lips. "If we turn you away, you'd be out in the woods, knowing where we are and able to do whatever you please with us. If we keep you here, we have the same issue. And if we take you to the abbey-"

Cluny flicked his battered tail threateningly. "I'd kill you first." The rat felt the two squirrels exchange looks. After a minute of silence, Cluny raised a brow. "So, what're you gonna do with me then?" he asked, not at all worried.

"We will make a deal with you." Stret didn't sound too happy with the decision he and his wife had come to in the silence. "But we know of you, Cluny the Scourge. You threatened our homes, our family, our friends, and our very existence. We won't stand for your tricks."

Cluny grinned. "Tricks? You two _dolts _think that I could pull _tricks_? _In this condition_?" He laughed at them in scorn. "You're just a bunch of paranoid little squirrels. If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead already, wouldn't you?" He tapped the side of his head mockingly. "That's why it's safe to say I _won't_ kill your family for the time being, isn't it?" He paused for a moment, and then leaned back into his chair, looking relaxed. "So, what kind of deal, squirrel?"

Stret sighed and ran a paw over his head. "We will treat your wounds, if you swear to leave us in peace."

Cluny waited for more, but the squirrel didn't say anything else. "That's easy enough. On my end of the deal, you can't tell those idiots at the abbey that I'm here. If you squeal to them, deal's off, your family's dead, and that's that," he stated coldly.

Another short silence followed, and Menda broke it. "Fine. As you say, rat. We won't breathe a word to the abbey."

Cluny grinned. "Then you get to live."

Stret frowned at the rat, and walked over to stand in front of him. "Let's go, _Sir_. You won't be staying in here." Cluny shrugged, the grin not leaving his lips. He held out his arm, and Stret helped him up. Cluny leaned more heavily on him than he did with Nevra, finding it easier to walk with most of his weight off his twisted paw. Stret grunted under the weight. "Did my daughter drag you all the way here?" he asked sarcastically under the big rat's arm.

"Don't push your luck, _squirrel_," he growled. He felt Menda touch his other arm, and she swung it over her shoulders too. Cluny shifted his weight between them, and the three creatures walked out of the home and into the warm summer night.

XXXXXXX

Outside, huddled around a small fire, Skullface, Frogblood and Wormtail listened to the muffled voices inside the squirrel's home. Skullface sneered at his companions. "An' you two idiots think I was lying? Listen to that!" he paused for dramatic effect while his former Chief yelled something at the squirrels. "I'm telling you, no one else has that bad a temper."

"So, it's the Chief, then?" Frogblood asked.

"_Was_ the Chief," Skullface corrected. "But yeah, that's definitely Cluny."

Nevra approached the group of rats, whispering to each other around their fire. "You know that rat, Skullface?" Nevra asked as she sat next to him.

Skullface grinned contemptuously at her. "You don't?"

She shook her head. "…He isn't a wanderer though, is he?"

Wormtail sneered at her across the fire. "Oh, he's a wanderer, missy, but-" A sharp kick from Skullface silenced him.

"But what?" Nevra pressed, not giving the kick a second thought.

Skullface smiled and gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "You needn't worry yer little head about what old Wormtail says. He hasn't been quite the same since he lost his paw. Doesn't know what he's talking about, and he _never knows when to keep his mouth shut_." Skullface glared at Wormtail as he said this. The rat merely shrugged his shoulders and went back to staring into the fire.

It was at that point that the four around the fire heard footsteps approaching. Frogblood looked up and grinned at their hosts. "Evenin', Stret. Evenin', Menda."

Menda smiled weakly at the rat as she eased Cluny onto the log Frogblood was occupying.

Stret grabbed Nevra by the paw and tugged her upright, away from the rats. "Come, Nevra. It's time to sleep."

Nevra protested. "But it's hardly-"

Her mother intervened. She grabbed her daughter cruelly by the ear and pulled her off to the tree. "Your father told you that it's bedtime, young lady."

The rest of the creatures watched the two as they disappeared inside, Nevra protesting loudly. Once they were out of sight, Skullface turned to Stret, who was looking at Cluny with immense distaste. "Everythin' alright, Stret? You an' the missus seem a bit touchy tonight."

Stret frowned at him. "You know what's wrong, rat." He angrily turned and followed his wife and daughter into his home.

Menda and Nevra were arguing in the kitchen about how her bedtime was or wasn't fair, respectfully, when Stret entered. He cut the disagreement short by laying a heavy paw on Nevra's shoulder and looking her in the eye.

"Nevra, go get your brother. We need to talk to you two." Nevra soberly nodded and left to fetch her older brother, Ordo.

The two young squirrels sat at the wooden table across from their parents. The looks of gravity on their faces warned the children not to goof around, so they waited for their father to say something.

Stret fixed them both in his sight and began. "Now, I need you two to listen closely. I know we have dealt with vermin before, and that they normally aren't much trouble, but I need you to understand something. This new rat is not like those other vermin. He is evil, and you need to keep your eyes on him-"

He was interrupted by his children. "So he gets to stay?" Nevra asked.

"What new rat?" Ordo asked, simultaneously.

Nevra turned to her brother with a grin. "I found this huge rat in the woods today, and brought him home!" Ordo smiled at his sister's enthusiasm. This was her first patient, and she seemed extremely excited about it.

To Nevra's question, her mother answered. "Well, yes. We struck a deal with him."

Ordo frowned. "Struck a deal? Why'd you need to do that? Don't we just always treat creatures that need help?"

"Not this rat, Ordo. He's an exception." Both his children became very silent.

"Who is he?" Ordo asked quietly, almost afraid to ask because of how serious his parents were acting.

Menda sighed. "His real name is…" she looked at her husband for permission to tell them. He nodded slowly. She continued, "…is Cluny."

Ordo stood up in disbelief. "The _Scourge_?" He looked at Nevra, who had a mask of shock covering her face. "But he's not real! He's just a made-up story for naughty children!"

Stret shook his head. "He is very real, Ordo. That evil rat is sitting outside our home right now, awaiting medical treatment just like all the other vermin we've seen."

Ordo frowned incredulously, his opinion on the situation quickly changing. "And you're going to give a rat like _that_ treatment?"

Stret shook his head. "We struck a deal."

"And what's the agreement?"

Menda sighed. "We treat him, and he'll leave us in peace."

Ordo raised a brow. "And you trust the legendary _Cluny the Scourge_ to keep that sort of promise?"

Stret laughed lightly. "I'm glad you've got a good head on your shoulders, son. We're not going to keep that promise, because we know he won't keep his end."

Nevra had been silent during the discussion. She felt disappointed that the first creature she had brought home to distribute help to had _lied_ to her and turned out to be an evil and malicious rat. She wished it wasn't true, and that he was like Skullface or Frogblood or Wormtail; not the nicest of creatures, but not murderous or evil. They were misguided, if anything. Nevra decided to hold on to a small hope that her patient 'Sir' was the same as those other rats. Misguided. The small squirrel looked at her father and asked, "If you're not going to keep your promise, then what are you going to do, father?"

Stret leaned his head in his paws and looked at his children. "We're going to alert the abbey is what we're going to do. Tomorrow, Ordo and your mother are going to go out under the pretense of 'collecting herbs', but will actually go and report Cluny to Abbot Mordalfus."

Nevra frowned. "But he said he didn't want to go back to the abbey, father."

Menda returned the frown. "He's a villain, Nevra. He needs to be taken care of, and those nice mice at the abbey will know how best to deal with him."

Nevra sighed. "Alright. And what are _we_ going to be doing tomorrow, father?"

"We'll be tending to his wounds, and tending to those other rats. We're going about business like usual."

The young squirrel nodded. "Okay, father."

Stret fixed her in his gaze. "Are you sure you can act like there is nothing going on, Nevra? If you give us away, that rat will not hesitate to kill us."

Nevra gulped, but nodded slowly. Ordo threw an arm around his sister and gave her a tight squeeze.

"You'll do fine, sister."

Nevra smiled weakly. "Thanks."

Menda stood. "Now that that business is taken care of, it's _really_ time for us to be off to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow, and need to rest up." She shooed the young squirrels into their room, where they quickly bounced into the soft beds and lay their heads down. After saying 'goodnights' to their parents, Menda blew out the lantern and closed the door.

Once the door was shut, Nevra turned to her older brother. "Ordo…" she began.

Her brother sighed and sat up. "Listen, Nev. I know that you were excited to treat a patient, but I need to know that you understand that this is not a game of doctor anymore." Nevra didn't respond as he continued. "If that rat is who mom and dad say he is, then you need to be careful around him. He's not like those other three idiots. Cluny's clever and evil. I'm sorry you're disappointed, but promise me you won't get attached, okay?"

His sister nodded. "I get it, Ordo. I'll try my best to keep dad's betrayal a secret."

Ordo scowled. "It's not betrayal if the other creature wasn't going to keep their end of the deal in the first place."

"How do you know he wasn't going to keep his promise?" Nevra shot at him.

Ordo pointed a paw at her. "Ah! There you go! Don't defend him, Nevra! He's evil, so it's okay for dad to tell Redwall about him and break his promise! If he didn't, that rat would kill us!"

Nevra sighed. "If he wasn't going to kill us before, he's going to now."

Ordo fell back onto his pillow. "Not if you don't give us away, he won't." Nevra didn't respond, and closed her eyes, willing herself to forget about what could happen if she failed to fool the Scourge and fall asleep.

XXXXXXX

Outside by the fire, there was not even a question of whether or not the rats would be sleeping that night. Not one of them closed their eyes. Frogblood and Wormtail kept exchanging nervous looks, and Skullface was examining his former Chief very closely.

Skullface could not believe that the Scourge was still alive. Menda and Stret had jubilantly reported to the rats that Cluny the Scourge had lost the final battle, and that he had met his demise at the hands of Redwall's champion, Matthias the Warrior. The news had been relieving, and the three rats had rejoiced at the death of their former tyrant; they had been officially freed from his clutches. Reflecting on it now, Skullface found he wasn't all that surprised that the rat had survived. He had hoped with every evil and sly fiber in his body that the Scourge had, in fact, been killed.

However, here was living proof against his wishes, staring into the fire with that one good eye of his.

Cluny, sensing what his old Captain was thinking, let that twisted smile of his cross his features. He kept his face in the direction of the heat from the fire, making it look like he was staring at it.

Skullface immediately turned his head away from Cluny and looked at Wormtail. The rat merely shrugged.

Frogblood gathered his courage and confronted the defeated Warlord. "That you, Chief?" Before Cluny could answer, the other two blurted out their own questions.

"Where's Redtooth? Ain't 'e with ye?"

"An' wot about Shadow? No way 'e coulda got killed!"

There were more questions coming, and Cluny knew it. He stood, ignoring the pain, causing the next inquiries to die on their lips. "Dead." His former captains all looked at him in confusion.

Skullface grinned. "So you mean you let your fearsome horde get killed by a bunch of peace-loving mice?" He spat in the fire contemptuously. He still hated the rat. After all, he was forced by his leader to jump on a huge horse; which ultimately caused him to be trampled under hoof and cart and left for dead. He didn't feel as frightened of his former Chief's fury, because Skullface could tell he was in pain and not in any shape for a fight. "Not too clever of you, eh, _Chief_?" He looked up at the black rat with a malicious grin.

Cluny kicked viciously out at the rat with his bad foot, not daring to trust his weight on it to kick with his good leg. Luckily, his foot met his target. Skullface was pushed over on top of Wormtail. He glowered, but quickly was preoccupied by a scorching pain on the end of his tail. It had landed in the midst of the embers. Skullface snatched it and began nursing it coolly, trying his best to not look the fool. Cluny carefully lowered himself back onto the log, not wanting to keep the weight on his ankle.

After a moment of silence, Wormtail dusted himself off and shot another question out. "So, wot brought ye 'ere, Chief?"

"Why don't ye just think before ye ask stoopid questions?" Frogblood countered. "It be plain to see, Chief is injured, and those squirrels are gonna 'elp im, same as us." He looked at Cluny. "Ain't that right, Chief?"

Completely ignoring the question, Cluny shot off one of his own. "Who's all here?"

The other rats looked at each other before answering. "Skullface, Frogblood, and Wormtail, sir. Why d'ye ask? We're sittin right 'ere, plain as ye see it…" Frogblood stopped talking as his Chief's expression hardened and his smashed tail flicked warningly.

Skullface saw it, and backed a few paces away, out of reach. "You _can_ see us, right, _Chief_?" His question was answered as Cluny attempted to lash out at him again, but the attack met with thin air.

The other two rats felt tensions rising, and made an attempt to divert from a fight. "Skull, this ain't a time to be pickin' fights, 'specially ones ye can't be winnin'." Skullface glared at Wormtail, who had spoken. "Remember wot the old squirrel said? 'e won't be treatin' us if'n we be fightin'."

Skullface sighed. "Right. Well then, _Chief_," he glared at Cluny. "What's the grand plan this time?"

Cluny sneered at his former captain. The obvious sarcasm and loathing in Skullface's voice was pitiful. "I ain't your Chief, weakling."

Skullface cackled. "Well, I'm glad _you_ said it, 'cause I was afraid I'd have to spell it out for you!"

Cluny let that one slide. In fact, he had a feeling he'd be letting most of what Skullface said from now on slide. Skullface was going to be a problem. He had no respect for the Scourge any longer, and it was painfully obvious. He couldn't teach the rat a lesson in his condition; that kick had practically made him pass out from the effort. It was also a problem that Skullface held those two other rats on his side. Cluny's mere presence might have been enough to get them to fear him again, but Skullface was definitely still their leader.

The black rat decided to use his tactics for dealing with his soldiers who had little to no moral. He turned back to the fire and voiced a question. "So, if these squirrels are healers, what are you guys in need of healing for?" He felt Skullface open his mouth, so Cluny opened his faster. "And I ain't talking to _you_, Skullface. I _know_ what that horse and wagon did to you."

Frogblood and Wormtail exchanged glances again and gulped. Was Cluny the Scourge trying to make small talk?

Wormtail answered first. "Well, after that wagon crash that we all thought had killed ol' Skullface, I lost my paw underneath it." He waved the stump he had acquired. "I never got it properly looked at. These squirrels said that they had to treat it right away and that it would take a long time to heal an' all that."

Cluny nodded slowly, like he understood and felt sorry for the rat.

Encouraged by Cluny's reaction to Wormtail's story, Frogblood jumped in.

"I was fightin' out on the lawns of the abbey when that ol' 'edgehog showed up. He used his spikes and was skilled at fightin' hand-ter-hand. He caught me off guard." Frogblood rubbed his leg, which was bandaged tightly. "He got me right through this ol' leg of mine. I kin hardly walk now."

Cluny shook his head piteously. "Those creatures were competent, I'll give 'em that."

Skullface scratched his bandages that were tightly wrapped around his torso. "Your turn," he told Cluny.

Cluny seethed in anger at the presumptuous rat, but didn't retort. He scowled, and the two other rats gulped.

Wormtail waved a paw at Skullface. "Oi, Skull, don'chu think you should be layin' down? Them squirrels said yer back won't heal up proper if you don't."

Skullface sneered at his companion over the fire. "My back's fine, fleabag. I wanna hear what's ailin' the _Chief_." He nodded at Cluny, who was still scowling.

Cluny wasn't sure how to deal with this small predicament. If he gave a detailed report of his various injuries, there was no doubt that the ambitious and hateful Skullface wouldn't hesitate to finish the big rat off in his state of weakness. If he didn't say anything, they would think he was shallow or weak, and any respect they still had of him would probably disappear. The rat decided to compromise.

"Well?" Skullface pressed, looking at his former Chief with amusement.

"My arms, my ribs, and my tail. I'm no medic, but they're definitely busted," he stated matter-of-factly. He left out his ankle and the other injuries he had noted, as they were wounds that obviously greatly hindered movement.

"And yer eye?"

Cluny let his face remain passive as he answered Skullface. "It doesn't mean I can't hear or smell."

The message was clear. Cluny didn't feel that his loss of sight was a major setback, which got Skullface to back off.

But the Scourge _did_ feel set back. He wasn't sure if he could rely on his hearing and smell to get him around. It was obvious he had to try, though, if he wanted to live the rest of his extended life.

The four rats did not say anything more for the remainder of the evening. Each was left with his own thoughts as sleep threatened to whisk them off.


End file.
